Chapter 18
“What on earth is going on here?” Miss Patterson asked in confusion as she looked at the chaos surrounding her.
“Oceana has gone missing, Miss Patterson.” Miss Grey hastily explained, “I’m afraid we are in no way able to have the usual visit today. As you can see, this place is in an uproar.”
“Oceana went missing again?”
“Oh, it's a lot more serious than that. Last night she went to bed with all the other children, but when we woke up this morning, she was gone! Her bed was made, the nightgown was folded neatly, everything was in order but the child was nowhere to be found. I don’t know how she got out, must have floated straight through the ceiling, because all the windows and doors were locked.”
“She ran off in the night?” Miss Patterson became worried. “Have you checked the prison?”
“That was the first place we looked, but the prison is closed down.”
“Closed down? What on earth does that mean?”
“They said the prison will be demolished and all the prisoners have been relocated, so it’s obvious she could not have gone there.”
“Where have they been relocated too?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Where is Miss Morgan?”
“She’s in her office talking with Beth. Shall I take you there?”
“Thank you, Miss Grey, I know the way.” Miss Patterson hurriedly made her way to Miss Morgan’s office. She knocked on the door and entered.
“Beth, did you know Oceana was going to run away?” Miss Morgan was asking Beth. She looked up when Miss Patterson entered. “Ah, Miss Patterson, you heard the news?”
“I did indeed.” Miss Patterson sat down in the chair next to Beth.
“Did you know she was going to run away?” Miss Morgan repeated.
“Yes ma’am.” Little Beth replied.
“And why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“I promised her I wouldn’t tell, and you know I must always keep my promises.”
“Why did you promise not to tell anyone?”
“Because Oceana is my friend and we always keep each other’s secrets.”
“Did you help her escape?”
“Not really, she planned the whole thing on her own; I merely locked the kitchen window after she left to keep us all safe. I know it’s not good to sleep with the kitchen window unlocked.”
“Do you know how she got out of the orphan asylum property?”
“She climbed the tree to get to the top of the wall and then jumped off to the other side.”
“Oh, Beth, Beth, why didn’t you tell anyone, why did you help her run away?” Miss Morgan shook her head in despair.
“Oceana is not meant to be kept in a cage, Miss Morgan, she’s not a canary, she’s a nightingale and you know nightingales don’t do well in cages.”
“Do you know where she has gone?” Miss Patterson asked.
“No, I don’t. Oceana didn’t tell me because she knew I would be asked and that I would not be able to lie to you. This was why we decided that the less I knew, the better. I have no idea where she is now or where to look for her. The last I saw her was when she waved to me from the top of the wall before she jumped down. Where she went from there on is just as much a mystery to me as it is to you.”
“Very well, Beth, you may go.” Miss Morgan dismissed Beth. “I really should punish her,” Miss Morgan turned to Miss Patterson. “But somehow I just don’t have the heart too. She got such a clean conscience. All she is trying to do is be fair to everyone. Besides, punishing Beth won’t make finding Oceana any easier.”
“Miss Grey mentioned you went over to Newgate and they said it was closed down and all the prisoners had been relocated, did you find out where?”
“No, I figured if Newgate was closed and the prisoners were gone, then she couldn’t have gone there, the only reason she ever went to Newgate was to see the Chandler fellow.”
“Ah, but evidently, Chandler has been relocated as well, so maybe she found out where he is and went to him.”
“I will remind you, Miss Patterson, that Oceana has not been in communication with Chandler for some time and she wouldn’t know any more than you about where he was located. It’s been over two months since she’s been at the prison and so obviously she doesn’t know about it being closed down.”
“Still, I’m determined to go find out more information concerning the prison and where the prisoners have been located. Believe me, Miss Morgan, if we find Chandler, we will be able to find Oceana.
“Do as you wish, Miss Patterson, I’m going over to the police again.”
“Oh the police, what good are they?” Miss Patterson scorned. “What we need to do is hire a private detective, it’s a pity Sherlock Holms is a fictional character.”
***
“Oceana, Oceana wake up, we have arrived.” Callum gently shook Oceana. The little girl stirred and opened one eye.
“Where am I?”
“Ye are aboard th' train, but we’ve arrived at th' station an' it’s time to gie off. I’ll feed ye breakfest an' 'en we have quite a hike ahead of us.”
Oceana yawned and stretched. The two of them stepped off the train and Callum led her to a tavern located by the station where they had a simple breakfast.
“Come along Oceana,” Callum said, putting his coat on. “Time to go, we want to gie there *afair dark.”
“Where are we going?” Oceana asked.
“Yoo’ll see, yoo’ll see.”
Taking her by the hand they walked out of the tavern, out of the town and towards the mountains. Oceana caught her breath when she saw them. “So, this is what Scotland looks like, why haven’t we ever come here before?”
“Long story lassie, long story.”
“Well, you did say it was a long walk!”
Callum shook his head. “Sorry lassie, Chandler is th' one who tells th' stories, I’m afraid I’m not much of a story teller.”
“But Callum!” Oceana pouted her lips.
“No, Oceana, no, it’s a story I dinnae want to remember, much less *gab abit.”
“Why is it that you never want to talk about your past?”
“That is *nane of yer business, Oceana.”
“Come on, Callum, stop being such a mystery.”
“I said I’m not gonnae gab abit it an' I’m not."
“Humph, Scottish obstinacy!”
“Och, now don’t we sound like a wee Chandler.”
“That reminds me, Callum, what of Chandler, we can’t just leave him in the prison all on his lonesome.”
“Dinnae worry lassie, everythin’ is under control.”
“If you say so.”
“However, now 'at we have brooght up th' subject of Chandler, lassie, I’m afraid there is somethin' I hae to tell ye. I wish I dinnae have to tell ye this. Dinnae seem right to me fur a lassie to have to go through such things, but it is beyond mah power.”
Oceana’s eye went round and she looked over at Callum with a worried expression.
“Ye have probably noticed 'at Chandler has bin rather pale as of late.”
Oceana nodded her head.
“Well, lassie, th' fact of th' matter is, Chandler seems to have come down wi' somethin'.Th' doctur cooldn’t pure tell whit, but whatever it is, it looks lick it’s drainin' th' life it out him.”
“So you mean Chandler is…is…is dying?”
“Aye lassie, aye, Doctur doesn’t ken how long he has left, says it’s somethin' hard to guess, but frae his opinion it’s not very long. Over th' past half year he has taken a definite turn fur th' worse an' now it is a matter ay time.”
“Why couldn’t anyone tell me sooner? I wouldn’t have stopped seeing him, now we are far away and he’s all alone.”
“Dinnae I tell ye 'at everythin' is under control? Dinnae fret an' troost mah word. Och, Dinnae cry lassie, yer tears break mah heart. Have coorage, remember 'at death is a part of life, it happens tae all of us one day. Think of all them *burds in th' orphanage, they also all lost their parents, think of Beth, remember whit a brave lassie she is.”
Oceana wiped her tears and was silent for a long time, then looked at Callum again. “Oh Callum, and he still doesn’t believe in God! What are we going to do? This was what I was afraid of the most, that one day God would catch up with him and Chandler would be completely unprepared.”
Callum only shrugged and the rest of the journey was continued in complete silence. Callum was right when he said it was going to be a long walk, at one point Oceana became tired and Callum carried the little girl in his arms. At last, just as the sun was setting they came to a little village by the sea. Callum took a road around the village, but still going in the direction of the sea. Presently, a little house came to view, a little house situated right on a cliff that overlooked the sea. The setting sun cast an orange/red glow over the water and bathed the house in a warm light. Oceana gasped at the sight, it was like something she had never seen before.
“Callum, is this our destination?” she asked, looked over at him with wide eyes.
“Aye, it is lassie, pretty ain’t it?”
“Pretty? It’s BEAUTIFUL! And the sea, it overlooks the sea, oh how I have missed the sea. Oh Callum, do let us go down to it! I can’t believe I’ve lived for nearly two years without one glimpse at the sea. Oh how I have missed the salt air.” Oceana breathed deeply. “Just look at it Callum, the reflection of the sun on the water, and the waves.”
“Ye had better tak' a good swatch while ye can. We don’t usually *geet clear weather up hare. Tomorrow it will probably be misty an' cloody.
“That’s alright, I love the misty weather of the sea as well. It gives the atmosphere a mysterious feel. Oh, Callum, Callum, let us go down, oh please let us go down.”
“Patience, lassie, it’s late an' th' sun will soon be gone an' darkness will fall. I’ll tak' ye doon to th' shore tomorrow.”
“But I don’t want to go into the house just yet.”
“Suit yerself, come, I’ll tak' ye close an' ye can get a good view from here. From our vantage point we can see th' entire panorama.”
“How wretched that my hair is short, this is the perfect moment to let it blow in the wind.”
Callum laughed. “It will grow back, lassie, it will grow back.”
Callum and Oceana stood watching the sun set till it had nearly sunk below the horizon. “Come along, lassie, we’ve got to git ye settled doon. Now, dinnae look at me like that, Oceana, don’t ye want to see whit is inside th' hoose?”
“I suppose I do.” Oceana agreed and they turned from the sea and walked into the house.
“Only ye hae to be very quiet.” Callum whispered as he lit a candle. “Cause I believe he’s awreddy asleep.”
“Who is asleep?”Oceana asked.
In reply, Callum pointed in front of him and held up the candle for Oceana to see. Not far off, sleeping on the sofa was…
“Chandler?” Oceana whispered to Callum with eyes the size of wagon wheels.
“Chandler.” Callum whispered with a nod of his head. “Come along, dinnae disturb him, lit him sleep. We’ll go an' have some dinner.”
***************************************************************
Oh my, so much unexpected! Don't go hating me about the sudden news of Chandler's health, I'm miserable enough about it myself as it is.
More answers in the next chapter :)
votes and comments are appreciated :)